Norvell Emerson: “the American economy is in dire straits and our constituents are looking to us to act. This is a moment when we should…”

“the American economy is in dire straits and our constituents are looking to us to act. This is a moment when we should be coming together, putting party differences aside, and crafting responsible legislation that will both solve the problem and unite the country. I do not believe H.R. 1 is this legislation. I am also disappointed that this conference was so small--with only five Members from the House--that it could have been conducted around the dining room table of my house in Cape Girardeau. It was so brief that it could have been over before I had the chance to make coffee for everyone. Despite the promises of bipartisanship made at the outset, this legislation has been constructed and finished behind closed doors. The motion to instruct conferees we passed here unanimously gave members of this House 48 hours to review the bill before we vote. We got 14. The American economy is hurting, families in my district in Southern Missouri are hurting, and we are applying a code of priorities here that doesn't fit the crisis we're facing. These funds should go to the people and places with the greatest potential to create jobs and improve the economy. This bill deviates from that mission while better solutions have been largely ignored. Regarding the contents of the Financial Services portion of the conference report, I am pleased it reduces funding below both the House and Senate levels.”